The Breaking Point
by Your Entry is not valid
Summary: People in the mirror aren't always what they appear. Every one holds secrets even the most innocent of souls.


Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

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><p>We are so different, you and I, so how is it we can be so much the same? I wonder, why has it taken me this long to understand what you have been telling me since the beginning I suppose it's because I never was very good with people. I thought things would turn out differently this time but they didn't. I guess that the saying holds true, those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, but I wonder . . . is that really true?<p>

Is anything?

_I must have done something in a past life to deserve this, this utter sense of helplessness that I can't shake, and trust me I've tried. I force myself to try once more to shake off this oppressed feeling, and finally something gives. _

_Beep, beep, beep . . . _

_That sound echoed around in my head and I clung to it. It was the first thing outside of my idle thoughts that I had been able to piece together. The first stable thing in my otherwise unstable world._

_Beep. Beep, beep . . ._

_Maybe this was a good start. I thought long and hard about getting myself back together. Forcing my other senses to work. I tried and failed many times to open my eyes but nothing seemed to want to work for me other then my most basic form of hearing._

_Beep, beep, beep . . ._

_I wanted to know what was happening; man did I want to know. There were enough questions in my head to fill a book. What had happened? What was happening now? Where was I now? Was I hurt, asleep, dead? And if I had died how in the world had I died?_

_Beep, beep- 'Can you hear me?' beep . . ._

_I stopped thinking for a second; I might have stopped breathing as well. Low and light, just a hum at first, was a voice. Muffled by a wall of semi-consciousness, but still there none the less. I tried to focus on placing the voice. I knew that voice; I just wasn't sure how I knew it._

_Beep, 'Guess that's a no then,' beep . . . _

_No! My mind was screaming that word at me. I wanted to say something anything to the other person. I could hear the pain, the hurt in the other voice and for some reason everything inside me wanted to make sure they never felt that way again._

_'Hey did you pull another all nighter?' this voice was new, not as familiar, not as warm as the other, but still one I knew._

"_Yes, I wanted to make sure that . . ." I had to strain to hear the original voice, why were they so quiet? The other person sighed. "That someone was here if he woke up? You know he's been out for almost two weeks now . . . right?" I tried to clear my thoughts again. Two weeks . . . what had happened two weeks ago? What was I doing two minutes ago? Oh, yeah right this. _

_Beep, beep . . . _

"_He is going to wake up . . . he has too." Once again I felt that urge to wake up and make the other persons fears go away. I knew the voice, the tone, the carry, the pattern, everything . . . everything but a name. I heard what sounded like muffled talking before a door opened and closed._

_Beep, beep "Please . . ._

_Beep, "Be okay," . . ._

"_Kai." . . ._

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><p>I closed my eyes leaning back in my chair. I could feel the cold wind of morning filtering in through the pure white curtains. The countryside right outside my window was beyond picturesque. Rolling hills of pure green that went into the distance before white mist transformed the hills into great mountains and we viewed all of this from a small villa atop one of the many hills.<p>

I sighed deeply. As pretty as the view and sites were that wasn't why we were here. No, we were here for a beybladeing tournament and the opening rounds were coming up soon. It seemed however that everyone aside from me had forgotten this little bit of information and so had switched into vacation mode the second we had landed. Max I understood a bit, we were staying with his aunt after all who he rarely got to see. Tyson, well far be it that he do anything useful. Kenny had taken it upon himself to make every single one of us a new blade before the tournament was out and then there was Ray.

I can't explain it precisely but it seemed like Ray was too many places at once to be able to focus on any one thing. I had about twelve Beyblade books pulled out and spread across the desk in front of me. I was going to come up with a good strategy if it killed me.

The sun had just barely peaked over the hill and already sleep was setting in. I could easily trace my fatigue to a night of tossing and turning, there were just too many things to think about. Blocking out everything and focusing on these strategies had provided the most effective way of keeping busy, so far at least.

I heard the almost silent click as the door to the room opened. I kept my head down knowing who it was that had entered. "Hey Kai any headway with those strategies?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and remained silent.

Ray was different from the others, he was my second-in-command in the whole 'if something happens to me' plan, and he was smart. Not leaping into stupid situations without thinking. If he did have a fault it would be my opposite. He was driven my emotions, while he could control them and hide them to some extent he was compelled by them.

After a few years of friendship however Ray wasn't even deterred by my silence. "Tyson started complaining about his new blade to chief so I made him run laps, Max said that he was going to help his aunt with some of the rooms around the Villa and I think that's it. Oh wait, no Chief told me to let you know that he will have the new Dranzer ready for testing by lunch time."

Figures. Ray in some ways already ran the show, always keeping things in order in my absences. The man behind the curtain if you will. I wasn't about to break my persona though and give out 'thank you's'. "Anything else?" I asked curtly.

Ray grabbed something from his bag that was still thrown on the bed, yet to be unpacked. He stuffed the object into his pocket before I could tell what it was. "No, nothing new I guess. You want breakfast?" I flipped the book page over and heard Ray sigh.

"Fine then, you can get your own breakfast." I was surprised to hear the slightest trace of resentment in his voice but as soon as it had came it passed back to cheer. "Just don't drive yourself to crazy locking yourself up here, alright Kai? With one last smile he slipped from the room, causing me to lean back in my chair once more.

Something was bothering him and I seemed to be the only one who had taken note. Maybe it was due to my grandfather who had always taught me to read people like a book while at the same time to make myself unreadable. Whatever the reason was, I was the only who had noticed. There was nothing however that I could do after all it was Ray's problem.

Ray not unlike me liked his privacy, especially about his past. The past was sacred and if any of us were to try and snoop around it without his permission it would be the ultimate betrayal.

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><p><strong>Ray's POV<strong>

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><p>We had just gotten to town a few days ago and I have to admit I was loving every minute of it. We were in a little town on the countryside of Italy, the location of the tournament that we had entered and it just so happened that Max's aunt owned a Bed and Breakfast Villa very close by and had agreed to let us stay with her for free,<p>

We all loved Max's aunt. Ms Jun Tate, she was a sweet lady who had helped raise Max after his parents had split. She had gladly welcomed us into her abode for the duration of the tournament. It didn't hurt that the Bed and Breakfast came with a nice sized beydish in the back.

I rubbed the back of my neck trying to work out some of the morning stiffness. The only thing was since they were staying for free it had become necessary for them to share rooms. As someone much wiser then I once put it though, never look a gift horse in the mouth, so we didn't complain.

I walked down the hall looking out the windows that lined it. Italy was really gorgeous this time of year. I walked into the kitchen, inhaling deeply as a mixture of heavenly aromas floated around me; did I mention that Jun was an amazing cook? "Good morning Ray. How are you?" I couldn't help but smile. "I'm wonderful, even more so now that I've smelled your cooking." She smiled at me. She had made it very clear on day one that she was not 'Ms. Tate, or Max's aunt' she was Jun, end of discussion. "Where is Max, I thought he would be with you?" She laughed lightly. "He said he wanted to help me so he went to check on some of the other rooms." I couldn't help but laugh myself. "Sounds like him, he really loves being here you know." She smiled once again. "Max and I are close and I love having him and his friends here." "Ms. Jun if you will excuse me, I think I am going to practice before things pick up around here." She didn't even take the time to look up from her work; I had to have her teach me some of the recipes. "Of course, go, go." She said waving me off.

I followed the path to the backyard. The morning sun was warm to my skin and the breeze that blew past sent an exhilarating thrill through me, stepping out into the porch I took a deep breath, catching sight of Tyson passed out on the warm wood like a kitty in the sun I couldn't help myself from laughing.

The season had just started and worlds seemed like forever away. The truth was this tournament was nothing, just like the next two we were going to. When Max had heard about the tournament being held in the city next to where his aunt was living he had begged us to enter, we had, but only under certain conditions.

After this we were heading to Russia for a local tournament that Kai had seemed very determined to enter. My conditions were similar after the Russian tournament we were heading to one in china that was near my hometown, truth be told homesickness was something I had never been able to totally over come and with the time frame that we would be there seeing home would just make me feel . . . better.

I pulled Drigger from my pocket. Smiling at the familiar sensation of having the balanced blade in my hand and knowing that he was mine and nothing would ever take him from me.

"So Drigger are you ready to go?" I saw the faint green light that came as Drigger responded to my questions. I loaded Drigger into the launcher already planning a course we could follow. "Ready?" I smiled as a warm jolt travailed up my arm. "Yeah, me too." I gripped the rip cord tightly. In my head I began the mental countdown. 3, 2-

"No!" I jumped a little about dropping my blade. Turing around in panic I looked for the source of the yell. "No, don't take my pancakes away!" I shook my head. "Tyson." Once he was asleep nothing would wake him up.

I detached Drigger from my launcher sighing heavily. I felt Drigger pulse with disappointment. "Sorry Drig, guess we'll have to wait and practice later." Drigger glows brightly and I can't help but smile. "I know Drigger, I feel the same way."

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><p><strong>Kai's POV<strong>

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><p>I closed the last book I had on the desk. Folding the papers carefully into the top draw of my desk. The plans were no where near perfect but they were good enough. Max would be busy for at least another hour and Tyson had no doubt curled up somewhere and went to sleep, meaning that Ray had most likely gone of to train himself, so why not me?<p>

I grabbed Dranzer off the desk, slipping her into my pocket. After looking around the room once to make sure everything was in order, neither Ray nor I liked a mess, I headed out. Slipping out past the kitchen and the back porch. Not surprised in the least to see Tyson sprawled out on the back porch.

Stepping around him I started towards the woods that lead up to one hill that was particularly secluded that had an amazing view that I had discovered only a few days before. It wasn't far too where I wanted to be and so I wasn't really in any hurry. Then I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. It was Ray; he was sitting at the top of the hill, back turned to me.

I took a step forward about to say something when I noticed something, something I wasn't expecting. His shoulders were shaking as unshed tears caught behind his eyes. I stopped where I was, what else could I do? I didn't deal with things like this, Ray did. I took a quick breath. "Ray." I said shortly, a little cold even for me. When I see him jump I wished I had said something else.

He stood, not turning to face me. "Kai, I didn't hear you come up. How long have you been there?" I shrug my shoulders, and then roll my eyes as I realize that he can't see me. "Not long." Ray turns to face me, a fake smile on his face. "Sorry, I didn't realize this is where you were disappearing to in order to train. I'll leave."

As he walks past me I grab at his arm. "Ray, are you . . ." I let my words trail off not really knowing what to say. Ray smiles again and again it's fake. "I'm fine Kai. You might want to be careful asking things like that; people might start to think you actually have a heart." He easily pulls from my grasp. "Like I said I'll go."

This time I nod and with one last forced smile Ray leaves. For the first time I began to think; just how many times did Ray fake a smile? I was also beginning to think the answer might just be more times then he smiled for real.

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><p><strong>{A}{N}<strong>

Alright well there's the first chapter. I tried to make it so that the story wasn't drastically different dull but I guess that is up to you guys to decide.

R&R if you like, it would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading


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